Darts star Luke Littler has missed Wednesday’s Players Championship event because he got caught in a traffic jam and missed the registration deadline.
The 18-year-old world champion, who is ranked second in the world, had to register for the tournament in Wigan by 11am, but failed to make the strict cut-off after getting stuck in road congestion.
The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) confirmed his absence from the competition, Sky Sports said.
Wednesday and Thursday’s Players Championship events are the last two tournaments for players to secure places in the season-ending Players Championship finals, held in Minehead next month.
Littler, nicknamed ‘The Nuke’, has already qualified for the finals after winning Players Championship 32 earlier this month.
He can still compete in Thursday’s event, as long as he registers before 11am on the day, as it is a separate event.
The teenager appeared unfazed by the setback, sharing a picture from inside the car to his Instagram story alongside the caption “back to bed it is, wonder who they’re going to call up?”, and a laughing emoji.
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The event, held at Robin Park Leisure Centre, is the penultimate Players Championship event of the year.
Another Englishman, Charlie Manby, ranked 174th in the PDC’s order of merit, has replaced him.
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Littler has already won the World Championship, UK Open, World Matchplay and the Grand Slam of Darts this year, but was knocked out of the European Championship in Dortmund by James Wade last week.
The Warrington-based player was made an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours list in June for services to darts.
In January, he became the sport’s youngest world champion, aged just 17.
